


The Only One

by Mikazuki_Nika



Category: Fate/Apocrypha
Genre: Exploration, F/M, Rewrite, exercise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 23:11:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19160935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikazuki_Nika/pseuds/Mikazuki_Nika
Summary: The last, tender moment between herself and Shirou in the crumbling Hanging Gardens of Avalon, from Semiramis' perspective.





	The Only One

It was… truly a garden.

A peaceful place, in which she was sure he would be able to quietly bid the world he loved so dearly a proper farewell. 

The endless blue that spread wide across her vision, as if embracing her, and the warmth of gold sunlight kissing her cheeks. The once strong, steadfast structures of stone that now crumbled easily, as if finally revealing the true weakness of this place built so feebly upon vanity and lies. The vivid green of the grass and vines that curled and tangled around the columns of her stone gazebo, and the slight awareness of the coldness of night slowly creeping away in the presence of the sun.

The feeling of regrettable contentment sitting in her chest, as heavy as the head in her lap.

Yes, it was truly a garden.

A fake Noble Phantasm, created by the beliefs of others. Something that she had originally used for her own interests, usually after reducing her master into a mere puppet. A tool. But as she sat on the smooth, stone bench inside the little gazebo, repeating a small piece of happiness she had gained over the course of this war, she recognized another part of its beauty.

Having long since dematerialized the spikes that pierced her palms and denied the world the privilege of her touch, Semiramis now reached a hand down to gently pat soft, white hair. She listened to the distant sound of explosions, of her Hanging Gardens slowly falling apart, and hoped her idiot of a master would not wake. 

But he was not the type to obey the wishes of anyone other than himself, despite his friendly outward appearance.

Semiramis turned her gaze from the sky to her master, feeling him stir restlessly.

“Where am…”

“You’re awake, hm?”

Shirou blinked up at her blearily. “Assassin, I…”

Semiramis let her shoulders drop gently. “It would have been best if you hadn’t woken up,” she said.  _ I would have watched over you.  _ He shifted and a note of confusion rose to his throat as he watched her. “The truth is, you will die.”

An amused, upward twitch came to her lips as Shirou blinked at her words, and then smiled as if the news were troublesome. “It would seem so,” he said, tone laced with fatigue and a touch of laughter, as if he had foreseen this outcome.

Then, recalling his last battle, he turned his head and lifted his injured arm curiously. Semiramis ran the pad of her thumb in soothing circles on the crown of his head. “I cut off your sense of pain,” she explained. Then, with fragility and acceptance, “Death is a bit unsightly otherwise.”

_ You can rest here. _

“Thank you…” Shirou replied, turning his head to look up at her again. “But I’m in your lap again?”

Semiramis only smiled. “I told you to think of it as an honor, did I not?”

Her eyes were drawn back to the scenery and she listened to the faraway sounds of the Hanging Gardens collapsing, various thoughts swelling and popping in her mind, like the air bubbles rushing to the surface of the water around the gazebo.

“There is still a little bit of time before it collapses.”

_ But that’s fine too. _

Yes, it was fine, she decided, smiling with a soft piece of happiness. Her master would have his wish. As a servant, that was more than enough for her to be satisfied. With this, the war was over. Humanity would be saved. Now… now, all she could do was play witness.

“Aren’t you…” Semiramis looked down at Shirou as his weak voice reached for her. “Angry at me?”

Immediately, she understood.

“Because you were defeated?” she asked, and then, with a teasing lilt, “Or because you deceived me from the beginning about becoming Empress?”

Shirou shrank into himself with the same amount of shame as a child caught stealing desserts, his shoulders coming up slightly. “Both,” he answered.

She chuckled. “Don’t worry, I forgive you,” she said, closing her eyes for a moment in acceptance. “Because I was defeated too. But more than anything…” Semiramis lifted her face, the sunlight immediately returning to her, washing over her expression. She looked into the sky over the false horizon of her garden. “I’m a little tired of being angry.”

_ This is enough. _

She bowed her head again to look at her master at the slightly surprised sound in his voice. Surely, he hadn’t expected to see her behaving so honestly. 

“Or would you rather I become angry?” Semiramis asked, the teasing tone returning.

Shirou smiled amicably. “I don’t, I think…”

She chuckled before allowing her smile to drop, and thought once again about bubbles popping and boiling, but now in dark poison. Something had been weighing on her mind ever since she discovered that becoming Empress was not possible after al- No, that was a lie. She had always known, somehow.

Ruler’s words echoed in her mind.

_ “You’ve realized it yourself, haven’t you? A world that has been saved does not need an empress!” _

She met Shirou’s gaze.

“There is one thing I want to ask.”

“Yes?” came the fatigued response.

With absolute calm and clarity, she asked, “Going by the original plan, what were you going to do after deceiving me?”

The expression on Shirou’s face as he listened to her speak shifted into something slightly sheepish, yet also hopeful, though his increasingly visible fatigue did not fade. “I was going to apologize,” he answered, but then he looked away and his smile became washed with sadness. “And if you weren’t able to accept that, then…”

Semiramis’ gaze did not darken like her thoughts, memories of times long since passed rushing to the surface. Instead, she traced two fingers down his neck and finished the sentence for him. “Would you have… killed me?” 

_ Would you, Shirou? _

In the long silence that followed, Shirou stared up at her with an honesty she wasn’t expecting. He looked at her as if saying they both knew the thought had crossed his mind before. At the same time, he took in her own expression, perhaps slowly mulling over the fact that the thought of betrayal had pained her. Even more than she had let on.

But then that smile came to his lips again - the one that made him look as if he were slightly troubled.

“Of course not.”

Semiramis stared as he chuckled.

“I thought that I would have to offer this body and life to you.”

She smiled, a breathy laugh rolling under her words, heart full from relief pouring into it. If she were anyone else, she would cry. “Coming from my master, that is such a faint-hearted thing to say.” She patted the top of his head soothingly. “You’re a fool.”

“That might be true.”

Semiramis watched as Shirou turned his head to look at the crumbling garden and dazzling sky. “But it seems like this fool’s wish will be granted,” she acknowledged.

“If possible…” A look of warm resignation came over his expression, as if saying that it couldn’t be helped. “I wanted to see that world.”

Semiramis tilted her head gently, swallowing down the lump that formed in her throat as she watched Shirou’s eyes well with tears for the first time.

“The world after salvation…” 

His whisper was filled with hope.

“That must be your punishment. It’s best to resign yourself,” Semiramis said gently.

“Punishment?” Shirou echoed. “I see…” he said. “A lot of things happened, didn’t they…”

Semiramis smiled into the sun. Her master would not have believed in anything other than the path he had laid out for himself, and his god. But when all was said and done, perhaps he had considered an end like this after all. That levelheadedness and caution was part of what made Shirou worthy of being her master.

Thoughts of him caused her feelings to well up inside of her chest. Overflowing, more and more. A different grail, filled far too much with memories and emotions. 

Heart pounding in her chest for a reason other than the thrill of battle, Semiramis carefully shaped a reason.

“That’s why… I will at least give you a reward.”

A faint, “Eh?” was her only response, and Shirou breathed shakily, turning away from the scenery to look up at Semiramis as she surged forwards.

Bending down, she pressed a kiss to his lips.

Only for a moment.

_ At the very least, just this… _

She internally laughed at the look of simultaneous shock and understanding on his face as she pulled away.

“Thank you… Semiramis.”

It was her turn to smile as if she were troubled.

_ When you first summoned me, those eyes were so strikingly clear. Clear of any emotion. But now… _

“To thank a poisonous assassin for her kiss… You’re the only one.”

_ You’re the only one. _

Semiramis watched as Shirou raised his hand towards her in response. She caught it in midair and brought it to her cheek affectionately, as if bringing him into a sweet embrace. She closed her eyes.

“I’m so glad... I met you.”

Semiramis listened closely to his last words.

He leaned his head up slightly off her lap in his earnestness. “Truly, glad…”

His last breath stuttered through his lungs and his eyes, having progressed all this time from cold, shining gold to molten warmth, became dark and dull. The hand against her cheek went limp and slipped slightly, but Semiramis clutched it close before it could fall. She leaned her forehead against the backs of his fingers one last time, expression crumpling ever so slightly into one with a thin film of sadness.

Feeling that her heart and soul were weeping, Semiramis parted her lips and gave her final message.

“My sympathy, my body, my love…” Her mind raced once more with memories of the past as she reflected on this war. “Those were always the things that people wanted from me.” She ran her knuckles over the wave of his bangs, enjoying how they popped back up even when she brushed them down. “Asking only for my power, for me to fight by their side… You were the only one, Shirou.”

She looked into his peaceful face, murmuring sounding almost urgent with her will to earnestly convey her thoughts.

“Calling my name without turning away from me… You were the only one.”

A final brush of his bangs, and Semiramis closed her hand into a loose fist, as if to stop herself from continuing. It tremored as a new lump formed in her throat and her body began to be pulled away from this plane.

Satisfied, yet still wishing for more.

“But why... do I always end up watching this scene, I wonder?”

She lifted her head and caught one last look at the peaceful garden. Surely, these days by Shirou’s side would never return. Her final task was finished. There was nothing left for her here anymore.

Semiramis finally allowed herself to let go of her hold on the world, her spirit dissipating further in a blue mist.

“Good grief,” she said, eyes trained on the smile on her master’s face. That warm, lamentable contentment in her chest spread to her lips in a trembling smile.

Her voice wavered.

“How regrettable.”

And until she parted from this world, Semiramis did not look away from Shirou’s satisfied smile.


End file.
